From Morocco to Libya, the countries of North Africa (Egypt excepted) usually are an afterthought in American strategy. Yet in more recent decades, as the US focus in the Arab world became concentrated in the Gulf region or on Arab-Israeli peace, North Africa has felt the decline of American attention and interest. Yerkes and Hill argue that China now is promoting regional economic integration, albeit in a self-interested way, to optimize its economic investments. So ensuring that North Africa is not a source of instability is not just a task for the US and Europe. It is the responsibility of the states of North Africa, each of which is now working to improve governance at home and to enhance their geographic advantages as bridges between Europe and Africa.

Source: The North Africa Journal July 05, 2021 11:48 UTC